Pages

Friday, January 1, 2016

A Letter To 2015

Dear 2015,

I'm not sure what to say to you exactly. The word that comes to mind most when I think of you is "growth". It seems to me that I've changed a lot over this year. I hope I have, anyway. I hope I notice other people more since I've come out of my shell.

You've been a year of change....well, the last 5 months of you were full of change anyway. Until August, my life seemed to continue on in the same old rhythm it did before, yet during that time, I had a grandparent and a sister come back into my life.

In August, I began attending choir practices to perform in a Hansel and Gretel opera, which took place in November.It was such a wonderful experience! I made new friends, new memories, and gained some hopefully useful experience. (Really need to get a post up about it).

In September, I started taking three classes two days a week at a private school. That was a big change for me, since up that point I'd been completely homeschooled. It was really hard at first; I didn't quiet fit in yet and science and math have always been hard for me, and now there was the added pressure of having to answer questions and perform experiments with my class. But it got better, and I made some really good friends, as well as welcomed some older ones back into my life.

October included a birthday party, a pumpkin patch trip with several friends from school, as well as families from both our current church and a church we attended in the past. It also was busy because we started having some extra practices for Hansel and Gretel.

2015 also introduced a new niece, Marlee, (she was actually born the end of 2014 but I didn't meet her until February) and a new nephew, Tucker, who was born in October.

2015, your November was crazy! With a week of dress rehearsal practices for Hansel and Gretel followed by four performances, Winter Jam, a girl's night watching Les Miserables, as well as the usual classes, my time was pretty well filled up! You were such a fun month though.

December....I'm just not sure what to write about you. You were fun, what with Christmas parties, and Star Wars, a day hanging out and doing Christmas with my sister and her family, and the final week of you which was filled with babysitting. And yet, somehow, you were so sad. The magic of Christmas has seemed to slip away from me, and more sadly, I had a hard time grasping at the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Your last day, though, was so sweet....watching old performances and memories with my family, and then getting to go see my sister Heidi and hang out with her three little ones, seven year old Kyla, five year old Kenny, and one year old Marlee. And finally, ringing in the New Year with some friends.

2015, thank you for the lessons you've taught and the changes you've brought to my life. Thank you God for bringing me through another year.

To 2016:

I can't help but feel a bit of fear as I think about the changes you might bring, as I fear the worst. And yet, my fear isn't going to help me or anyone else and it's not going to change anything. So instead, I look to you with hope, hope that this will be another year of learning and growing, making new friendships and deepening old ones, and gaining new experiences.

So, 2016....although my toe throbs from an injury gained on my very first day with you ;), I'm ready!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I think this is going to be my theme verse this year. As I have said, my impulse is to be afraid, but God says so many times, do not fear! He is in the past, present, and future; He knows what is coming and He is already waiting there for us. He loves us with an everlasting love.

"But now thus says the Lord,he who created you, O Jacob,he who formed you, O Israel:“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name, you are mine."

Happy new year, Christine! :) A very lovely letter, and very true! The future is such a vast place, and so many things... But Yahweh has it all in His Hands! I love the Scripture verse. ♥ May God bless you and your family, and let's embrace the life we have before us! :D-Ang (thepeculiarmessenger.wordpress.com.)